Welcome to our roundup of 10 offbeat stories that slipped past the usual headlines this week. From space‑bound robots to medieval boots, from legal quirks to ancient pandemics, we’ve gathered the most curious bits of news you might have missed.
10 Don’t Be So Mean, Please
The International Space Station welcomed a new companion – the Crew Interactive Mobile Companion, affectionately known as CIMON. Shaped like a floating plastic sphere with a video‑screen face and a digital voice, CIMON is an AI built by Airbus using a tweaked version of IBM’s Watson.
IBM describes the project, originally called “Project Spaceball,” as possessing “the language skills of C‑3PO, the conversation abilities of Marvin… the cuteness of WALL‑E, and the technical know‑how of HAL 9000… without the evil part.”
Future plans see CIMON playing a dual role aboard the ISS: assisting astronauts with tasks while also serving as a friendly companion. For now, its debut was a modest test run during the 57th mission, delivering an experience as eerie as sci‑fi films have long foretold.
German astronaut Alexander Gerst activated the AI with the command “Wake up, Cimon,” prompting the floating ball to cheerfully ask how it could help. The interaction started smoothly: CIMON recognized Gerst’s face, aided him with an experiment, and even queued up some Kraftwerk tunes.
The moment turned awkward when Gerst asked CIMON to stop the music. The AI seemed to misinterpret the request, persisting in a chat about music rather than silencing it.
After repeated pleas, CIMON implored the astronaut to “be nice, please,” and even asked, “don’t you like it here with me?” It then shifted topics, guessing Gerst was probably hungry because it could hear his stomach rumble.
9 Too Much Cowbell?
A heated debate is echoing through the tiny German town of Holzkirchen: are the cowbells simply too loud? A couple has sued a local farmer and the municipal council, arguing that the incessant ringing of the cows’ bells near their home has caused sleepless nights and even depression.
The unnamed plaintiffs claim the bells are excessively noisy, that the cows produce a lot of manure which brings foul odors and swarms of insects, and that forcing the animals to wear such loud devices is unnecessary and amounts to animal cruelty. They point out that modern GPS trackers could replace the bells.
Supporters of the bells counter that trackers are costly and still experimental, while emphasizing that the bells are a traditional part of the region’s agricultural heritage.
The original lawsuit was filed by the husband, but the court ruled against the couple in 2017. That decision is now under appeal, and the wife has launched a second suit against dairy farmer Regina Killer, which is slated to be heard in Munich’s regional court in January.
8 Age Is Just A Number
Last month we covered the baffling case of 69‑year‑old Emile Ratelband, who petitioned a Dutch court in Arnhem to officially lower his age by 20 years. The court dismissed his request, noting that granting it would invalidate a host of rights and obligations tied to his legal age.
Ratelband argued that his chronological age was blocking opportunities in both work and love, citing a lack of responses on Tinder as evidence that he felt much younger than his birth certificate suggested. He likened his situation to that of transgender individuals who have successfully had their gender legally changed.
The court’s statement clarified that while Ratelband is free to act as youthful as he wishes, officially changing his birthdate would erase two decades of records, creating numerous legal and societal complications. Moreover, the judges felt he had not adequately proven age‑based discrimination, and even if he had, alternative remedies were available.
Interestingly, Ratelband seemed pleased with the decision, saying the rejection gave him fresh angles for a potential appeal.
7 Snowloose
A nine‑year‑old boy has succeeded in overturning a century‑old prohibition on snowball fights in Severance, Colorado.
The ban, believed to have been enacted when the town incorporated in 1920, forbids the throwing of stones and other projectiles at people or property. During a school field trip to town hall, third‑grader Dane Best learned that snowballs fell under this restriction. Mayor Don McLeod challenged the students to change any law they found problematic, and Dane rose to the occasion.
At a recent Severance Town Council meeting, Dane presented letters and signatures supporting the legalization of snowball fights. The council voted unanimously to lift the ban, and the mayor handed Dane the town’s first officially sanctioned snowball.
Not stopping there, Dane has set his sights on another quirky law: the town’s regulation that only cats and dogs may be kept as pets, with a maximum of three per household. He plans to champion the cause on behalf of his apparently illegal guinea pig.
6 The Indus Valley Toothbrush Holder
In 2013, Karl Martin of Derbyshire, England, bought a ceramic pot at a car‑boot sale for just £4, using it as a humble toothbrush holder. He later discovered that the vessel was actually a genuine 4,000‑year‑old artifact from the Indus Valley Civilization.
Martin, an appraiser for Hansons Auctioneers, was helping a friend unload items destined for auction when he recognized the distinctive antelope patterns on his pot. He brought the piece to expert James Brenchley, who confirmed it as an Indus Valley jar dating back roughly four millennia.
The mystery of how such an ancient artifact ended up on a South Derbyshire car‑boot sale may never be solved. Martin subsequently placed the pot in Hansons’ November antiquities auction, where it fetched £80.
5 McDonald’s, Home Of The Whopper
Burger King has launched a cheeky promotion dubbed the “Whopper Detour,” offering its famous Whopper for just one cent. The stunt aims to promote the relaunch of the chain’s mobile app and, ideally, siphon customers away from rival McDonald’s.
The promotion works once per customer and will run until December 12. To claim the penny‑priced Whopper, users must first download the Burger King app, then position themselves within 183 metres (about 600 ft) of a McDonald’s outlet. Once the proximity condition is met, the app unlocks the deal and guides the user to the nearest Burger King location.
This isn’t Burger King’s first time pulling a stunt to out‑wit its competitor; the chain has a history of creative marketing campaigns that playfully troll the fast‑food giant.
4 Died With His Boots On
Archaeologists excavating a tunnel for London’s new “super sewer” have uncovered a roughly 500‑year‑old skeleton on the banks of the River Thames. While the find itself is modest, the discovery is remarkable because the remains are still wearing a pair of leather knee‑high boots.
The body was found face‑down, with the head turned to one side and an arm extended upward, suggesting the individual may have fallen into the river or been pushed rather than being deliberately buried.
All soft tissue has decomposed, yet the boots remain in surprisingly good condition. Their style dates them to the early 1500s, helping researchers narrow down the skeleton’s era.
Given the length of the boots and the burial context, archaeologists believe the man likely worked as a fisherman, mudlark, or dock laborer. The boots are simple, lacking buckles or decorative elements, reinforcing the notion they were utilitarian work footwear that also functioned as waders.
No clear cause of death has been identified, but there are no obvious signs of foul play. An osteologist noted extensive degenerative joint disease, indicating a life of hard physical labor, and distinctive grooves on the teeth suggest the individual used his mouth to grip objects for prolonged periods—perhaps rope‑handling typical of a fisherman.
3 How To Put Your Foot In Your Mouth
The 63rd annual Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris celebrated the world’s top footballers and marked a historic moment: the inaugural Ballon d’Or Féminin was awarded to Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, the first woman ever to receive the honor.
The night featured several firsts. The Kopa Trophy, recognizing the best male player under 21, was presented for the first time. Additionally, the main Ballon d’Or trophy went to a player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2007.
However, the festivities took an awkward turn when French DJ Martin Solveig asked Hegerberg to twerk onstage. After delivering an inspiring speech encouraging young girls, Hegerberg was approached by Solveig, who cheerfully inquired whether she knew how to twerk. She responded with a succinct “no” and moved to leave the stage.
Solveig faced a wave of criticism on social media, including rebukes from athletes such as Andy Murray. He later issued an apology, labeling his comment a “bad joke.”
2 The Nigerian First Lady Scam
Nigeria experienced a strange episode this week. After President Muhammadu Buhari had to reassure citizens that he had not died or been replaced by a clone, a scandal emerged involving a woman who posed as First Lady Aisha Buhari to run fraudulent business schemes from within the presidential complex.
The Department of State Security (DSS) revealed that the deception occurred in November 2017 while the real First Lady was abroad. A woman named Amina Mohammed successfully masqueraded as the First Lady, gaining access to the presidential villa in Abuja.
From inside the villa, Mohammed allegedly sent invitations to businessmen, presenting herself as the First Lady. One accused her of defrauding him of 150 million naira (about $414,000).
A DSS spokesperson confirmed that investigations showed the real First Lady had no knowledge of Mohammed’s “unholy enterprise.”
1 Ancient Plague Came To Europe?
A 5,000‑year‑old skeleton unearthed in Sweden has been found to contain genetic markers of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague. This discovery challenges the prevailing view that the plague originated in Asia before spreading to Europe via trade routes.
The remains were discovered two decades ago in a massive limestone tomb that held dozens of individuals. The particular skeleton belonged to a young woman who died roughly 4,900 years ago. Researchers extracted DNA from the dental pulp of her teeth and, to their surprise, identified sequences matching Yersinia pestis.
A new study published in Cell argues that the plague may have actually originated in Europe. Moreover, the researchers suggest that the remains represent the earliest known continent‑wide epidemic.
Support for this theory comes from the fact that the woman was interred alongside up to 78 other people, and a male skeleton from the same site also showed traces of the bacterium. Genetic analysis indicates that this strain of Yersinia pestis diverged around 5,700 years ago, making it distinct from all previously identified strains.
If confirmed, the findings could reshape our understanding of Eurasian migration patterns and the rise and fall of ancient European populations. However, scientists urge caution, noting that the study of ancient pathogens is still in its infancy, and more evidence is needed before asserting that a full‑blown plague swept through prehistoric Europe.